The invention relates to remote monitoring, diagnostic, and reporting methods and systems. In particular, the invention relates to remote monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting methods and systems for water; for wells; and for groundwater monitoring at remediation sites.
Conventional remediation site monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting are expensive and labor intensive operations. Yearly costs for remediation site monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting often exceed over about $2000 per well. Conventional remediation site monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting methods and systems comprise providing a well or other access means for groundwater at a remediation site. A person visits the remediation site, locates the well, and accesses the well. The groundwater in the well is sampled for characteristics (hereinafter xe2x80x9cgroundwater characteristicsxe2x80x9d), such as, but not limited to, contaminants; water quality parameters; groundwater level; and impurities, including benzene, toluene, chlorinated solvents, ethyl-benzene, aromatic hydrocarbons, xylenes (BTEX) in the groundwater. The groundwater sample is then transported to a laboratory, often remote from the remediation site. The sample is then analyzed for certain characteristics by appropriate methods. Costs are associated with each step, and the costs are often high depending on the well""s location with respect to the laboratory. Exact costs are remediation site dependent, reflecting a complexity of an analysis to be performed.
Real-time data for the groundwater is not available. The transportation of the sample from the well to the laboratory takes time. Further, time delays are associated with the analysis of the groundwater sample. Thus, when results of the groundwater analysis are available for study, a long period of time may have passed. Any actions necessitated, recommended, or required by the groundwater analysis may not be accurate, and may be detrimental, as the remediation site groundwater its characteristics may have been altered, typically permanently, over the time from sampling to analysis.
Therefore, an alternative method and system for conventional sampling and laboratory analysis are needed. A remote monitoring, diagnostics, and reporting system and method both provide real-time data. The real-time data can be analyzed at the remediation site so that prompt action can be taken addressing the groundwater characteristics.
The invention overcomes the above noted deficiencies of known monitoring methods and systems. The invention provides for a monitoring system that determines fluid characteristics in a well. The system comprises a well module adapted to be disposed in a well, in which the module comprises a probe and at least one sensor that senses characteristics of the fluid in the well. The well module is capable of transmitting information concerning fluid characteristics. The system further comprises a data collection center, which is capable of receiving well information from the well module and generating information concerning characteristics of the fluid; a monitoring site; and a communication link that enables a user at the monitoring site to obtain information concerning the fluid characteristics.
The invention also sets forth a method of monitoring fluid characteristics of a well. The method comprises disposing an well module in a well, the module comprising a probe and at least one sensor; sensing fluid characteristics, transmitting information concerning fluid characteristics to a data collection center; receiving information concerning fluid characteristics at the data collection center; generating information concerning fluid characteristics at the data collection center; and obtaining information concerning the fluid characteristics at a monitoring site.
These and other aspects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, where like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the drawings, disclose embodiments of the invention.